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  • Re: Computers In Stores

    From Ed Vance@1:2320/105 to Mortar M. on Thursday, January 29, 2026 13:10:26

    Re: Re: Computers In Stores
    By: Ed Vance to MIKE POWELL on Wed Jan 28 2026 21:12:13

    Either your time frame or magazine title is in error. I checked every issue from Jan. 1977 to Dec. 1982 and none fit your description.
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    I even looked through a large stack of magazines some time back
    Besides Popular Electronics I looked through Radio-Elrctronics magazines also looking for that cover picture without luck.

    Still have those magazines somewhere here.

    In February 1984 I bought a Radio Shack book called
    "BASIC Conversion Handbook" Cat. No. 62-2088

    It showed how to convert PET and Apple BASIC programs to be used on a TRS-80 Model I or III .

    I got the book just before buying my Commodore 64 about a month later.
    Ed
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  • From Kurt Weiske@1:218/700 to MIKE POWELL on Thursday, January 29, 2026 10:36:02
    MIKE POWELL wrote to KURT WEISKE <=-

    I do remember at some point as a kid taking a "field trip" to somewhere and those of us that went got to play with a Tandy TRS-80 (???). Aside from just playing with them at the store, I think that was my first
    real eye-opening experience... they actually had us type up some small basic programs and run them.

    I remember going to a ComputerLand store in Palo Alto and seeing an
    Apple III, one of the high-end TRS-80s, an HP workstation and an
    Osborne 1, and wanting them all. :)






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  • From Mortar M.@1:124/5016 to Ed Vance on Thursday, January 29, 2026 13:38:42
    Re: Re: Computers In Stores
    By: Ed Vance to Mortar M. on Thu Jan 29 2026 13:10:27

    In February 1984 I bought a Radio Shack book called "BASIC Conversion Handbook" Cat. No. 62-2088

    My bet is it came from an outside publisher. There's been several of those types of books over the years. I've been toying with the idea of doing an updated version that includes BASICs from modern retro computers.
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  • From MIKE POWELL@1:2320/195 to ED VANCE on Thursday, January 29, 2026 08:11:00
    I wrote the publisher and told them their code had a mistake and I included t correction I made.

    I wonder if they posted a correction in a later issue?

    Mike
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  • From Ed Vance@1:2320/105 to Mortar M. on Saturday, January 31, 2026 21:35:58

    Re: Re: Computers In Stores
    By: Ed Vance to Mortar M. on Thu Jan 29 2026 13:10:27

    My bet is it came from an outside publisher. There's been several of those types of books over the years. I've been toying with the idea of doing an updated version that includes BASICs from modern retro computers.
    --- SBBSecho 3.35-Linux
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    Mortar M, The Copyright is 1981 by HAYDEN BOOK COMPANY, INC.
    The title page has:
    BRAIN BANK
    David A. brain, Pholip R. Oviatt, Paul J. A. Paquin, and Chandler D. Stone, Jr. Ed
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    * Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/105)
  • From Ed Vance@1:2320/105 to MIKE POWELL on Saturday, January 31, 2026 21:39:12


    I wonder if they posted a correction in a later issue?

    Mike
    ---
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    Mike, I have no way of knowing until I locate the magazine issue the code was in.
    Then I could hunt for the next 2 or 3 issues to see if the correction was published.
    Ed
    --- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux
    * Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/105)
  • From Keith Matthews@3:712/620 to MIKE POWELL on Sunday, February 01, 2026 21:29:16

    I think your right, I don't remember seeing any Atari's in the main street shops back in the day.

    Plenty of Dick Smith/Tandy and Commodore though. 8-)
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  • From MIKE POWELL@1:2320/195 to KEITH MATTHEWS on Monday, February 02, 2026 08:54:00
    I think your right, I don't remember seeing any Atari's in the main street shops back in the day.

    Plenty of Dick Smith/Tandy and Commodore though. 8-)

    In my case I shall need to add that I might not have been old enough to
    know the difference in some cases. ;)

    Mike
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  • From Keith Matthews@3:712/620 to MIKE POWELL on Friday, February 06, 2026 21:41:08

    The crazy thing is.... I can still recall the smell, most vividly I recal the smell the first time I saw a Dick Smith System 80.
    I can smell it like it was yesterday.!
    --- SBBSecho 3.35-Linux
    * Origin: The Dungeon BBS Canberra, Australia. (3:712/620)
  • From MIKE POWELL@1:2320/195 to KEITH MATTHEWS on Friday, February 06, 2026 08:25:00
    The crazy thing is.... I can still recall the smell, most vividly I recal the smell the first time I saw a Dick Smith System 80.
    I can smell it like it was yesterday.!

    That is pretty crazy. I don't remember my first XT having a smell, but
    the flatpack desk that I put together for it did... sort of a wood smell.
    I guess it would more correctly be "pressboard smell." :D

    Mike
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